Seven Vintage Glass Plate Negatives — Adults & Children, Early 20th Century, c.6×9cm

A charming and evocative collection of seven vintage glass plate negatives dating from the first half of the 20th century. The set includes various figures of adults and children — anonymous faces from the past, preserved in extraordinary detail on glass. Glass plate negatives were the dominant photographic medium from the 1850s through to the early 20th century, and finding a group of this size and variety together is increasingly uncommon.

Condition

• Overall: Good condition for age.
• Edges: Some flea bites and chips to edges — not major, typical of glass plates of this age.
• Surfaces: Some age-related marks.
• Images: Intact and viewable.
• Dimensions: Approximately 6 × 9cm each.

Provenance

• Medium: Glass plate negatives —  Glass plates offer exceptional image resolution and archival stability, and many survive in remarkable condition over a century later.
• Subjects: Various adults and children — anonymous figures from the early 20th century, each a small window into everyday life of the period.
• Era: First half of the 20th century, estimated 1900s–1940s.
• Appeal: A wonderful piece of photographic and social history — glass plate negatives can be scanned or contact-printed to produce striking positive images, and are highly sought after as display objects when backlit. Popular with collectors of photographic ephemera, mixed media and assemblage artists, and interior stylists.